Natural stones have been used in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) industry for multiple centuries to make walls, columns, flooring and ornamental features like wall cladding and interior decor. The type of stone finish applied to natural stone majorly impacts its functionality and appearance. This blog serves as a comprehensive guide to the various natural stone finish types available today, covering the key selection criteria to help you make an informed decision for your construction projects. Keep reading to learn more.
What is a Stone Finish?
Any treatment or process applied to the surface of a natural stone to create a specific look or character can be called a stone finish. Natural stones are acquired by quarrying, which produces large, rough stone blocks, and require cutting and finishing to make them usable in buildings. Finishing processes can make a stone look and feel smooth, glossy, rough, matte or textured and enhance its natural grain patterns. The type of stone finish also determines its functionality, durability and resistance to water, weathering, stains and slipping.
Types of Stone Finishes
Some of the most popular natural stone finishes used in the construction industry today are:
- Polished finish
- Honed finish
- Flamed finish
- Lappato finish
- Bush hammered finish
- Sandblasted finish
- Leather finish
Let’s explore these stone finishes in detail.
Polished Finish
A polished finish is achieved by buffing and grinding the stone’s surface with fine abrasive materials. This process can be done before or after installation (on floors) and produces a highly glossy, smooth and mirror-like surface that greatly enhances the natural stone textures, colours and grain patterns. Polished stones like marble, granite and limestone are used as luxurious materials in flooring, cladding and kitchen countertops.
Honed Finish Stone
The process of creating a honed finish is similar to that of the polished finish, where the natural stone is buffed and grinded with abrasive materials. However, this process is stopped when the stone attains a smooth finish without being reflective. This finish has a smooth/ satin matte-texture and can be applied to natural stones like marble, granite, Kota, slate and sandstone tiles. Although less vulnerable to scratches and more affordable than polished stone, honed stone may absorb stains and moisture more easily.
Flamed Stone Finish
Natural stone is subjected to high-intensity acetylene flame to expose the inner layers and create a flamed finish. With an extremely rough and heavily textured surface, flame finish stone is ideal for usage in outdoor landscaped areas or parking spaces. Due to its intense nature, this finish can be applied only to hard stones like granite and a few limestone varieties. Although resistant to slips and moisture, flamed stone can be difficult to clean and maintain due to its rough texture. This finish is commonly used to make natural stone paving blocks.
Leather Stone Finish
As the name suggests, the stone leather finish resembles the texture of leather material and has a semi-matte, semi-smooth, rippled surface finish. Leather finish natural stone tiles are produced by brushing honed stone with diamond or carbide-tipped brushes. Due to their resistance to stains, smudges and water, leathered finish kota stone and granite are commonly used in bathrooms, bar counters and kitchen countertops. However, such stone can be difficult to clean as dust can accumulate in its crevices.
Lappato Stone Finish
Polished stone is subjected to diamond tipped abrasives that remove parts of the polish and produce the Lappato finish. Lappato stones thus have a semi-polished, semi-matte and smooth appearance. This finish can resist water, slips, smudges and scratches. Stone wall cladding with Lappato granite or marble is often used to add visual interest in spaces with Minimalist interior design styles.
Bush Hammered Finish
A special tool called a bush hammer (a hammer with multiple pyramidical pointed tips) is used to mechanically or manually strike natural stone and create the bush hammered stone finish. Different hammer sizes are used to produce stones with rough finishes and differently-sized craters. It is one of the most popular granite finish types and is used to make uniformly rough and slip-resistant outdoor surfaces. Although extremely durable, this finish can be difficult to maintain as dust can accumulate in the stone’s crevices.
Sandblasted Finish
Stone is subjected to a high-pressure blast of silica sand that creates a gentle abrasion and produces a rough, uniformly-dotted surface. Natural stone flooring with a sandblasted finish is extremely durable and slip-resistant, making it ideal for wet, outdoor spaces. However, this floor stone texture can be porous and vulnerable to stains, depending on the type of stone used.
Considerations for Stone Finish Selection
The selection of natural stone finishes for different spaces must be done based on several factors such as:
- Location: Spaces that are frequently wet or experience moisture, such as bathrooms and gardens, benefit from having stones with rough finishes like bush hammered or sandblasted finishes. On the other hand, indoor spaces like bedrooms and living rooms can have smooth or polished finishes.
- Application Type: The type of application (wall, floor, countertops, decorative surfaces etc.) is an important factor for finish selection and determines the crucial properties required. For example, a wall stone finish must be resistant to horizontal forces like wind, while it is more important for stone flooring to be able to bear higher vertical loads and traffic.
- Traffic/ Loads: The finish selected for flooring or cladding must be able to bear the loads subjected on it without wearing out or degrading. For instance, sand-blasted or bush-hammered finishes may become smooth with continuous and prolonged vehicular traffic.
- Maintenance: Choose stone finishes that are easy to clean and maintain. Most rough finishes can accumulate dust, but are more resistant to scratches than smooth finishes. However, repolishing can be done for polished stones if they experience scratches or other minor damages over the years.
- Aesthetics: Ensure that the finish selected blends well with the overall space or home design. While rough finishes often create a more natural and traditional look, smoother or polished finishes may be more ideal for spaces with Minimalist or Industrial style interior designs.
Key Takeaways
The different stone finishes explained above can be summarised as follows:
| Finish | Stone Finish Texture/ Character | Natural Stones Available With This Finish | Ideal Usage |
| Polished Finish | Extremely smooth, glossy and mirror-like | Marble, granite, limestone, Kota stone, sandstone, slatestone | Flooring and cladding in luxurious indoor spaces; kitchen countertops and decorative accents. |
| Honed Finish | Smooth matte-finish | Marble, slate, granite, limestone, travertine | Dry indoor spaces and landscaping. |
| Flamed Stone | Extremely rough and textured | Granite and other hard stones like limestone | Outdoor spaces like landscaping and parking areas. |
| Leather Stone Finish | Semi-matte, rippled texture | Granite, kadappa, Kota stone, sandstone, limestone | Bathroom flooring, bar counters, kitchen countertops. |
| Lappato Finish | Semi-polished: semi-matte and semi-glossy | Granite, marble, Kota stone | Flooring in bathrooms and wet spaces, wall cladding, kitchen backsplashes. |
| Bush Hammered Finish | Rough, uniformly textured | Limestone, marble, granite | Flooring for outdoor spaces like footpaths. |
| Sandblasted Stone Finish | Rough, dotted-texture | Marble, sandstone, granite, Kota stone, limestone, quartzite | Landscaped pathways and other outdoor spaces. |
Getting the Best Stone Finish Types in Construction Projects
Expert consultation and guidance are required to ensure that the right types of stone finishes are used for all the spaces in a building project. Brick & Bolt, with over 7 years of experience in the construction industry, employs a team of expert architects who customise and design the right finishes for every space in residential and commercial building projects. The company offers a streamlined building materials supply for these projects, ensuring that the fixed timelines and budgets are promptly followed. Its specialised QASCON system with 470+ quality tests also assures top-notch quality. Reach out to Brick & Bolt today to get the best stone finish in your construction projects!
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